Malia Obama’s Nike Ad Faces Plagiarism Claims from Indie Director
So here’s a low-key wild one—Malia Obama’s latest Nike spot is under fire for looking just a tad too much like an indie short film. Indie filmmaker Casey Johnson is sounding the alarm after spotting “shockingly similar” visuals, pacing, and voiceover in Nike’s new campaign. According to Johnson (Variety, April 2024), her 2022 short “Everyday Champions” features slow-motion montages of neighborhood athletes, close-up reaction shots, and an uplifting narration about small-town grit. Nike’s 2024 ad mirrors almost every beat: the same handheld camera angles, identical beat drops, and an inspiring voiceover that reads as if lifted verbatim.
Johnson says she sent a cease-and-desist letter to Nike’s legal team and to Malia’s production outfit, Obama Media Co., on April 10. She claims her work was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in late 2022 (U.S. Copyright Office records) and that multiple shots line up frame for frame with the major-brand commercial. “I poured my heart into showcasing athletes who rarely get the spotlight,” Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter. “Watching it replayed on prime-time felt less like flattery and more like a duplicate.”
Nike, for its part, insists there was no single source of inspiration. A spokesperson told the New York Post that “Nike’s creative process involves many voices and an in-house team working from scratch. We respect original creators and review such claims seriously.” Meanwhile, a rep for Obama Media Co. noted that Malia Obama was one of several producers on the project and that the ad drew on broad athletic archives and public-domain footage.
Legal experts say these cases hinge on striking similarities in composition, music cues, and narration cadence (Entertainment Law Review, May 2024). If Johnson can prove access and near-identical elements, she has a solid infringement claim. But if Nike shows their footage was shot independently or that the common tropes are generic, the case could stall.
Public reaction has been split on social feeds. Some cheer Johnson’s fight for indie creatives. Others shrug, calling it “copycat culture” at its finest. Either way, the kerfuffle threatens to overshadow Nike’s push for inclusivity in sports—and to spark tougher questions about how big brands source their “authentic” stories.
So yeah, that’s the gist. Let’s see if Johnson scores a legal slam dunk or if Nike dodges this one like a pro. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. Copyright Office
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
